behavior

The second of a two-part series, Secretive Creatures looks into how our pets experience their world through hidden channels of communication revealed with ultra slow-motion, photography that makes smells visible, X-rays that reveal hidden powers, and ultraviolet light

In this program filled with innovative photography and scientific revelation, we investigate how our favorite pets get in touch with their wild side through play. From talkative budgies, marathon-running hamsters, wall-climbing cats and diving dogs, discover how our pets’ playful games are just a whisker away from the wild.

Discover the secret to the stability and cohesion of Ancient Egypt—religion. When people share a core set of beliefs, they are more likely to identify as one. That was true for the first civilizations and it’s just as true today.

From a promiscuous prairie dog to a kleptomaniac crab and an alpha chimpanzee who reigns with an iron fist, this three-part miniseries explores the most rebellious animals in the natural world. But are these creatures really breaking bad? Across the world, new studies are uncovering an astonishing variety of insubordinate animal behaviors, and despite how it appears on the surface, researchers are discovering the complex and fascinating science behind why these animals behave the way they do. In fact, being a rebel could be the key to success in the wild.

With an emphasis on provocative and unanswered questions, this series follows researchers on the winding paths of uncertainty and the unknown — and from the mysteries of astrophysics to the technologies that could rival or surpass the abilities of the human mind. On this first episode, follow the clues that reveal how animals “talk” to each other from spider thumps and mice mating songs to the intricate signals between our closest relatives, the chimps.

For our last live discussion of 2017, INSIGHTS ON PBS HAWAI‘I reviews the major news stories of the last year, from investigative to inspirational and more. Our guests will also explore outstanding examples of “truth to power” stories, and will offer their suggestions on the stories to watch for in 2018.

A national ranking of support services offered to domestic violence victims has Hawai‘i among the states at the bottom of the list. INSIGHTS examines the numbers and sheds light on domestic violence in the Islands with this live discussion.

Your questions and comments are welcome via phone, email and online via Facebook and Twitter during the Live Broadcast.

Phone Lines:
462-5000 on Oahu or 800-238-4847 on the Neighbor Islands.

Filmmaker Charlie Hamilton James follows the story of three curious river otter orphans in Wisconsin and visits otters all over the globe. Join him as he uncovers the secrets to the otter’s survival with innovative experiments, cameras and CGI.

A remote, bleak speck of rock in the Pacific, Easter Island, or Rapa Nui, has mystified the world ever since the first Europeans arrived in 1722. How and why did the ancient islanders build and move nearly 900 giant statues, or moai, weighing as much as 86 tons each? And how did they transform a presumed paradise into a treeless wasteland, bringing ruin upon their island and themselves? NOVA explores controversial recent claims that challenge decades of previous thinking about the islanders, who have been accused of everything from ecocide to cannibalism. Among the radical new theories is that the islanders used ropes to “walk” the statues upright, like moving a fridge. With the help of an accurate 15-ton replica statue, a NOVA team sets out to test this high-risk, seemingly unlikely theory – serving up plenty of action and surprises in this fresh investigation of one of the ancient world’s most intriguing enigmas.